Emergency Medical Services Division (EMS)
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Keith Davenport, EMT-P
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About the Emergency Medical Services Division
It is the mission of Caldwell County Emergency Medical Service to provide the highest quality of preventative and emergency care in a prompt, efficient and compassionate manner to the citizens of Caldwell County. This will be done by employing the highest trained, most capable and professional personnel available. The Agency will continously strive to develop and incorporate advancement in pre- hospital care through employing the most up-to-date, state-of-the-art procedures, tools and protocols available. The standard for patient care is dynamic and improves regularly as does our agency.
Caldwell County EMS provides Paramedic level pre-hospital emergency medical care within Caldwell County and surrounding counties when requested. This service is provided utilizing six (6) 24-hour Advanced Life Support ambulances, operating from four (4) bases: downtown Lenoir, Gamewell Fire/Rescue, Hudson near Redwood Park and downtown Granite Falls. We also operate three (3) 24-hour Paramedic level Quick Response Vehicles countywide and one (1) 12-hour Paramedic Quick Response Vehicle stationed at the Collettsville Fire/Rescue Department on Adako Road in the Collettsville Community. The Paramedic stationed in Collettsville can also provide transport capabilities through utilizing an ALS ambulance stationed at Collettsville Fire Department Sta. 1.
The Caldwell County EMS Division also maintains transport units at Hudson Fire/Rescue (2 ALS Ambulances), Lovelady Rescue Squad (2 ALS Ambulances), North Catawba Fire/Rescue (2 ALS Ambulances), Gamewell Fire/Rescue (2 BLS Ambulances), Lenoir Fire/Rescue (1 ALS Ambulance), Little River Fire/Rescue (1 ALS Ambulance), Valmead Fire/Rescue (1 ALS Ambulance) and has a mutual aid agreement with Blowing Rock Fire/Rescue (1 ALS Ambulance) to provide transport services in the Northern end of Caldwell County. The combination of full-time transport units and volunteer agencies providing units allows the County to have the capability of fielding 19 transport units without placing reserve units in service.
The primary function of EMS is to provide emergency medical care and transport for individuals that are sick or injured. Additional services include non-emergency and scheduled transportation of non-ambulatory individuals to outpatient clinics, nursing/physician facilities and hospitals.
The EMS Division also provides training and program development for all volunteer and paid Fire/Rescue agencies and industries who provide pre-hospital First Responder and EMT care prior to EMS arrival. Currently EMS coordinates monthly training of 411 First Responders / EMTs. The EMS Division provides input and assists in the development of all pre-hospital care in Caldwell County under the direction of the system’s Medical Director (Dr. Dianne McClinton), Caldwell Memorial Hospital, Caldwell County Board of Commissioners and North Carolina Office of EMS.
Caldwell County EMS is a NC OEMS certified teaching institution for:
Medical Responder
EMT-Basic
EMT-Intermediate
EMT-Paramedic